sixth spirit ring had reached the 100,000-year level.
However, he didn't stop hunting.
So far, not a single truly 100,000-year-level Yellow Sand Salamander had appeared.
And only half the night had passed. In the latter half of the
night, Ma Hongjun changed his target, no longer targeting Yellow Sand Salamanders below 100,000 years old.
Reaching the 100,000-year level of a spirit ring brings a qualitative change; the biggest difference is that a 100,000-year spirit ring usually provides two spirit skills.
However, at the 100,000-year level, absorbing spirit rings below 100,000 years old provides very little improvement; even absorbing a large amount isn't enough. Unless you absorb a massive amount, it's difficult to improve the spirit ring.
Hunting spirit beasts below 100,000 years old at this point is too energy-consuming and counterproductive, even against the natural order.
Appropriate killing respects the laws of nature.
Excessive killing is destructive.
However, absorbing a 100,000-year-level spirit ring still has a significant effect. Although it doesn't instantly raise the level to 200,000 years, it can greatly enhance spirit skills.
Perhaps it was because Ma Hongjun had slaughtered a large number of ten-thousand-
year-old Yellow Sand Sharks that he finally lured out the king of this place—a hundred-thousand-year-old Yellow Sand Shark.
In fact, Ma Hongjun had already sensed its presence, but it remained underground, leaving him helpless for the time being.
However, once Ma Hongjun locked onto it, it was essentially doomed.
Although Yellow Sand Sharks could survive beneath the yellow sand, they still needed to emerge to breathe.
This was why they had to come out at night, much like sharks in the sea.
At this moment, the Yellow Sand Shark King was emerging from the ground.
Its long, pointed tail resembled that of a shark swimming at the surface, its body submerged in the sand, its tail protruding above the surface.
It rapidly approached Ma Hongjun.
A hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast possessed a certain level of intelligence.
From Ma Hongjun's unbridled hunting of so many ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts, the Shark King knew that Ma Hongjun's target was it.
It couldn't escape.
Moreover, as the king of its race, the Yellow Sand Shark was unwilling to remain cowardly and let its people die for it.
"Boom!"
The Sand King burst from the ground, kicking up countless grains of sand.
Its body wasn't enormous, but rather streamlined and agile.
It seemed that most soul beasts reaching the 100,000-year level possessed a reasonable and aesthetically pleasing physique, appearing quite distinctive.
Unlike 100,000 years ago, where the older the soul beast, the larger its size.
At this moment, Ma Hongjun could clearly judge from his soul power that this Yellow Sand King's cultivation was approximately 170,000 years.
"Swish swish swish..."
A dense sound rang out. The Sand King had come prepared; it seemed it hadn't intended to face Ma Hongjun alone.
Indeed, as a king, it wasn't foolish.
The greatest advantage of the insectoid race was its sheer numbers.
In this sea of sand, the sand scorpion swarms numbered in the hundreds of millions. They had already reached their peak, their population so large that it appeared bloated.
The Sand King wasn't worried about this depletion. Given the sand scorpion swarms' reproductive methods and speed, in this desert with almost no natural enemies, even
if some were consumed, the population would soon reach that peak again.
"Human Soul Master, you have obtained what you desired.
If you retreat now and guarantee you will never return, our Scorpion Dragon Clan will forgive and forget. Let's
all live in peace and part ways!"
To Ma Hongjun's surprise, the Salamander King's tone softened, and it was actually willing to let him go.
This Salamander King was indeed not stupid.
Its gaze fell upon the multiple gleaming red soul rings on Ma Hongjun's body, and in the darkness, its eyes were filled with apprehension.
This was a clever and ruthless Salamander King.
It had taken notice of Ma Hongjun when he hunted the Yellow Salamanders. Along the way, it had learned of Ma Hongjun's strength and his intention to absorb soul rings.
Although it was surprising that a human Soul Master could absorb soul rings to improve himself, the danger of being locked onto forced it to treat this human Soul Master with caution.
It continuously sent Yellow Salamanders to attack Ma Hongjun.
Only when Ma Hongjun's absorbed soul rings reached the 100,000-year level did it reveal itself.
It already knew that this human Soul Master's strength was unfathomable, so it dared not show itself, but being locked onto by the opponent's aura, it could not escape.
That's why he decided to reveal himself only after the other party had achieved its goal.
Ma Hongjun could easily figure out the Sand King's ulterior motives with a little thought. Sand
King's decisiveness had the air of a ruthless leader.
No wonder it had developed to the age of 170,000.
However, unfortunately, Ma Hongjun was too hot-tempered right now and had no intention of slowly communicating with it.
"I'm sorry, what I want is your spirit ring,"
Ma Hongjun said calmly.
"Human, you shouldn't challenge an entire clan.
Your bloodlust is too strong; you don't know how to restrain yourself. Stop now.
The powerful Scorpion Dragon clan is united. If you want my spirit ring, you'll have to face the entire Scorpion Dragon clan," the
Sand Dragon King said angrily.
However, after saying these tough words, it actually retreated.
Countless sand scorpions and yellow sand dragons surrounded him.
Densely packed, stretching for thousands of miles.
They were preparing to use their entire clan to wear down Ma Hongjun.
Truly, they would rather betray the world than betray the world;
worthy of being the king of the Scorpion Dragon clan.
It knew Ma Hongjun's strength well; using the power of its entire clan to block him, even if it couldn't kill Ma Hongjun, would at least cripple the Scorpion Dragon clan.
Ma Hongjun was equipped with the Fire Phoenix Martial Soul, and five bright red spirit rings surrounded him.
The pressure of a 100,000-year spirit ring was far beyond what these sand scorpions could withstand.
However, Ma Hongjun wasn't foolish enough to waste his time with these sand scorpions.
He wasn't one to waste time. Although he was confident he could slaughter the entire race, there was no need.
Ma Hongjun turned his gaze to the Sand King.
This was a ruthless king of his race.
Absorbing one of its soul beasts was far more worthwhile than the entire race.
The Sand King sensed Ma Hongjun's gaze, and an ominous premonition arose.
It swiftly burrowed into the yellow sand.
How could Ma Hongjun give it a chance? He fully unfurled his Fire Feather Wind Wings, activating them and surging his speed to its limit.
The powerful Vermilion Bird Flame instantly annihilated the approaching Sand Scorpions and Yellow Sand Kings.
Ma Hongjun transformed into a fiery shadow, instantly catching up with the Sand King.
The moment it entered the yellow sand, his right claw grabbed it.
It knew Ma Hongjun was powerful, but it had far underestimated his speed.
The moment it appeared on the ground, the moment it appeared before Ma Hongjun, it had already lost control of its life.
Ma Hongjun had been waiting for it to emerge from the ground.
Within a thousand meters, Ma Hongjun arrived in an instant.
The seven Vermilion Bird feather bones, each over 200,000 years old, comprised twenty-two Vermilion Bird feathers and a 100,000-year-old Wind Dragon wing bone, forming the Fiery Wind Wings.
The speed they could unleash was completely imperceptible to the human eye.
Ma Hongjun, carrying the Salamander King, flew into the air.
Countless scorpion dragons on the ground watched, but nothing more.
"Human Soul Master, release me!"
...
"If you've got the guts, come down and fight me one-on-one!"
...
"Please, Soul Master, spare my life!"
...
Ma Hongjun hadn't expected that the Salamander King, upon being captured, wouldn't retaliate but instead launch into a tirade.
What a drama queen!
First, he swore threats, then begged for mercy
—this was a Salamander King without any integrity.
Ma Hongjun couldn't take it anymore. He flew out of the Yellow Salamander's territory, no longer willing to listen to the Salamander King's babbling. Since it didn't resist, lacked the courage to resist, he was prepared to send it on its way.
The moment Ma Hongjun's killing intent arose, the Salamander King finally launched its attack.
Its back was seized by Ma Hongjun's terrifying claws, and it used its long tail to wrap around him.
Then, the barbs at the tip of its tail stabbed towards Ma Hongjun's throat.
"Hmph!"
Ma Hongjun snorted coldly.
"Phoenix Flame Claw!"
His left hand transformed into a sharp claw, covered in purple flames. He
grabbed the Sand King's tail.
He had long anticipated the Sand King's dying counterattack.
How could such a cowardly creature, willing to sacrifice its entire clan, face death calmly?
The Sand King roared in unwillingness.
Unfortunately, in the face of absolute power, all resistance was futile.
It struggled, its tail and back firmly controlled, the purple flames seeping into its body.
It tried to unleash a powerful soul skill,
but it was shattered by the flames released from Ma Hongjun's body.
Ma Hongjun's flames had now touched the laws of fire, something the Sand King could not withstand.
In the end, the Sand King was burned alive by Ma Hongjun's flames.
Ma Hongjun absorbed its soul ring.
As expected, the obtained soul bone was the Scorpion Dragon Tail Bone, which fused with the original soul bone, reaching the 100,000-year level.
The sixth soul ring of the Martial God Spear was upgraded to 100,000 years.
Ma Hongjun's earth-attribute soul power increased; earth overcomes fire, slightly easing the restless fire energy within him.
However, compared to the massive amount of fire-attribute soul power, this amount of earth-attribute soul power was still far from achieving balance.
Further improvement was needed.
Next stop, Star Dou Great Forest.